Transgender and Transsexual

News about transgender and transsexual issues, including commentary and archival articles published in The New York Times.

Chronology of Coverage

Jun. 17, 2014

Pres Obama plans to sign executive order banning contractors from discriminating against employees on the basis of their sexual orientation or gender identity. MORE

Jun. 11, 2014

Juliet Macur Sports Of The Times column notes that WNBA is rolling out a marketing strategy aimed at appealing to the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community; contends that gesture to LGBT fans has come too late to seem heroic, arriving only after the taboo against being gay in professional sports has largely crumbled. MORE

Jun. 10, 2014

Editorial welcomes progress on transgender rights in health care; praises Obama administration's decision to reverse 1981 policy that excluded gender reassignment surgery from coverage under Medicare; also notes Defense Department's new willingness to review ban on transgender military service and updated policy concerning gender designation on birth certificates in New York State. MORE

Jun. 2, 2014

Media Decoder column; nonprofit oral history group StoryCorps will inaugurate OutLoud, three-year project to capture experiences of young and minority gays and those who lived before the 1969 Stonewall riots; StoryCorps founder David Isay says project honors his father, psychiatrist Dr Richard Isay, who was closeted gay man for many years, but professionally is credited with helping to persuade colleagues to stop viewing homosexuality as mental illness. MORE

Jun. 1, 2014

Eric Spitznagel Talk interview with transgender actress Laverne Cox, who stars in Netflix series Orange Is the New Black. MORE

Jun. 1, 2014

Stephanie Rosenbloom The Getaway column observes that the number of places where lesbian, bisexual and transgendered travelers can be themselves has grown exponentially; notes that same-sex marriage laws are transforming cities into LGBT travel destinations, whether for a family getaway or a romantic weekend. MORE

Jun. 1, 2014

Erik Piepenburg presents guide to upcoming lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender events, from the Gay Games in Ohio to Gay Days Orlando and Pride parades and festivals across the country. MORE

Jun. 1, 2014

Steven McElroy travel artlcle on six lesser-known or up-and-coming spots for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender travelers that may be easy to overlook when making travel plans. MORE

May. 31, 2014

Department of Health and Human Services appeals board rules that Medicare may no longer exclude sex-reassignment surgery from coverage; decision, which applies to beneficiaries of the health plan for older Americans and people with disabilities, covers only surgery, not other treatments like hormones. MORE

May. 27, 2014

Editorial calls on Gov Andrew Cuomo and the New York State legislature to approve long-stalled legislation that would outlaw discrimination based on gender identity or expression; argues that Cuomo will have to prevail over recalcitrant State Senate if New York is going to amend its failures and extend civil rights protections to transgender people. MORE

May. 25, 2014

Op-Ed article by reporter Kiera Feldman observes that women's colleges are struggling to reconcile their mission with growing societal shift on how gender itself is defined; notes that handful of applications from transgender women have rattled school administrators; calls on women's colleges to accept transgender women and thereby lead the way for society. MORE

May. 22, 2014

WNBA launches marketing campaign that will makes it the first professional league to specifically recruit gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender fans; other women's professional basketball news noted. MORE

May. 17, 2014

Op-Ed article by actor and playwright Harvey Fierstein decries harsh treatment of 16-year-old transgender inmate known as Jane Doe, who has been placed in solitary confinement in adult prison after lifetime of sexual abuse and harmful foster care; holds that decision to imprison her rather than providing necessary treatment represents society's failure to nurture children and treat them as individuals. MORE

May. 15, 2014

Editorial calls for Defense Sec Chuck Hagel to lift policy prohibiting transgender people from serving in military; cites evidence showing that, as with gay service members, there is no compelling rationale, medical or otherwise, for banning their service; says issue is not whether transgender people can be of service in military, but rather those that are serving must cover up their identities. MORE

May. 12, 2014

Defense Sec Chuck Hagel says military should continually review its prohibition on transgender people in armed forces, calling into question whether Pentagon's current military ban may eventually be lifted, as it was on gay men and lesbians. MORE

Mar. 16, 2014

Transgender models are enjoying success in Brazil, where crossing gender lines is increasingly accepted; still, many say the nation’s conservatism can also create a hostile environment for its gay and transgender population. MORE

Mar. 13, 2014

Growing presence of transgender people is showing up across popular culture, from art to advertising and even on hit television shows. MORE

Feb. 23, 2014

Julia Baird Op-Ed article notes that transgender people cannot serve in the United States military because it defines gender nonconformity as a psychological disorder, unlike other countries; contends growing number of people are questioning the US military's reluctance to change their medical standards. MORE

Feb. 22, 2014

Defense team at Manhattan terrorism trial of Sulaiman Abu Ghaith, a son-in-law of Osama bin Laden, will include transgender lawyer Zoe J Dolan; Dolan says she has not raised this aspect of her personal life with Abu Ghaith or any other client, but says she believes that her background helps her better represent clients, particularly those who have lived on the margins. MORE

Feb. 17, 2014

Feb. 16, 2014

Jennifer Finney Boylan Op-Ed article contends Amazon program Transparent shows every sign of being one of the first television shows to depict the life of its transgender heroine with grace and respect; notes the controversy surrounding the fact that Jeffrey Tambor, who plays the heroine, is neither female nor trans. MORE

Jan. 30, 2014

Bruce Weber photographs nearly 20 transgender models dressed in designer clothes for Barney's New York catalog and magazine campaign; idea was hatched by Dennis Freedman, head of Barneys ad campaigns, in effort to create awareness of a community that has been left behind as gay men and lesbians move further into mainstream. MORE

Jan. 18, 2014

Federal appeals court in Massachusetts upholds ruling requiring the State Department of Corrections to provide gender reassignment surgery for inmate Michelle Kosilek, who was born male but is receiving hormone treatments in prison; Kosilek, who was named Robert when convicted, is serving a life sentence for murdering his wife. MORE

Jan. 13, 2014

Op-Ed article by author Sarah Elizabeth Richards calls attention to discrimination many transgender men and women face from health providers, particularly when trying to have children; maintains gender identity has nothing to do with the desire to have children, and transgender men and women have the right to be parents. MORE

Dec. 31, 2013

Jennifer Finney Boylan Op-Ed article recounts how the still-unresolved disappearance of divinity student Sam Todd from a New York City street on New Years Eve in 1983 haunted her for years; says she came to imagine that Sam Todd was not a victim of foul play, but instead had deliberately disappeared to create a new life for himself, a fantasy that encouraged her to start a new life as a transgendered woman. MORE

Dec. 17, 2013

Jennifer Finney Boylan Op-Ed article recounts her experience as a transgendered woman volunteering for the Salvation Army, before organization's antigay discrimination became widely known; explores whether a charity's good works can outweigh the damage of such bigotry. MORE

Dec. 1, 2013

Daniel Friedman, owner of Brooklyn retail store Bindle and Keep, has found his niche in fashion industry by creating suits fitted to give female and transgender clients a masculine profile. MORE

Nov. 22, 2013

Gerard H. Gaskin’s photos of the vibrant, underground house ballroom scene, celebrated by mostly gay and transgender black and Latino men, have earned him recognition as a “Trinidadian Andy Warhol.” MORE

Nov. 5, 2013

Seven Republicans cross party lines to advance debate in Senate on a measure that would outlaw workplace discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. MORE

Nov. 5, 2013

Editorial contends much-needed measure that would outlaw employment discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity has a terribly broad religious exemption that is a departure from the approach of earlier civil rights laws; notes measure will likely pass the Senate but will face difficulties in the Republican-controlled House. MORE

Nov. 4, 2013

Republicans, accused of being out of touch on social issues, face a question of gay rights at the federal level with crucial Senate vote on bill to outlaw workplace discrimination against gay men, lesbians and transgender people; bill is apparently just one vote short of threshold to prevent filibuster. MORE

Oct. 31, 2013

Sen Joe Manchin III, West Virginia Democrat, says he will vote for a nondiscrimination bill that protects gay men, lesbians and transgender people, putting measure within one vote of gaining support it needs to overcome filibuster; Manchin had been the only Democrat who had not signaled how he would vote. MORE

Sep. 9, 2013

Brutal death of transgender black woman Islan Nettles, killed in Harlem in September 2013, has incensed New York’s transgender community, many whom have experienced violence themselves and have spent years overcoming past abuse, depression and thoughts of suicide; police have arrested Paris Wilson, but have only charged him with misdemeanor assault. MORE

Aug. 28, 2013

Editorial criticizes military's response to declaration by Chelsea Manning, formerly known as Pfc Bradley Manning, that she wants to live as a woman; urges military to give Manning appropriate medical care and safe but not unduly isolated housing, which should be available for all transgender prisoners. MORE

Aug. 24, 2013

Transgender woman Islan Nettles dies after attack in Harlem in case that police say they are investigating as hate crime upon learning that the attacker may have used antigay epithets. MORE

Aug. 23, 2013

News organizations are divided in their handling of request that they now refer to Pfc Bradley Manning as a woman. MORE

Aug. 23, 2013

Pfc Bradley Manning, who was sentenced to 35 years in prison for leaking vast archives of government files to WikiLeaks, says that he is female and asks to receive hormone therapy while in prison, setting up a potential conflict over a treatment the Army says it does not provide to its inmates. MORE

Aug. 13, 2013

California Gov Jerry Browns signs into law bill that guarantees transgender students access to interscholastic sports, gym classes, locker rooms and bathrooms based on their gender identity. MORE

Aug. 1, 2013

Editorial welcomes settlement reached between federal civil rights officials with California's Arcadia United School District, which was accused of discriminating against a transgender student; contends agreement ends a painful episode for the student and his family and may also be the beginning of a more welcoming future for transgender students. MORE

Jul. 1, 2013

Thousands of people take to the streets in Istanbul to demand better treatment and equal rights for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people; although recent antigovernment protests have been smothered by security crackdown, protest for equality is peaceful event. MORE

Jun. 30, 2013

Sunday Dialogue on what to do if a child identifies with the other gender. MORE

Jun. 24, 2013

Colorado's civil rights division determines that school district discriminated against transgender first grader Coy Mathis when it refused to let her use the girl's bathroom; gay and transgender advocates say decision will have an indelible impact on how such cases are handled in the future. MORE

Jun. 13, 2013

Editorial calls on New York State lawmakers to extend basic civil rights protections to transgender people. MORE

Jun. 1, 2013

Tara Siegel Bernard Your Money column on workplace protections for LGBT people says patchwork of state and local laws and judicial decisions are confusing, fragmented, and often inadequate. MORE

May. 13, 2013

Fallon Fox is the first openly transgender fighter in mixed martial arts, distinction she did not seek but has had to embrace. MORE

May. 12, 2013

Op-Ed article by author Jennifer Finney Boylan reflects on her experience of being a transgender parent. MORE

May. 11, 2013

Editorial argues that LBGT community remains vulnerable to employment discrimination nationwide, despite widespread public acceptance of basketball player Jason Collins's decision to come out as gay man; expresses support for bill under consideration in Congress that would shore up federal protections for gay workers, noting that Pres Obama should protect them by executive order in meantime. MORE

May. 7, 2013

More than half a dozen states have adopted rules to allow transgender high school students to compete on teams that correspond with their gender identities rather than the sex listed on their school records. MORE

Apr. 7, 2013

Ginia Bellafante Big City column decries arrests of gay and transgender people in Jackson Heights neighborhood of Queens and elsewhere, often on false charges of prostitution based on no other evidence than what the person was wearing; holds this is in some sense an actual fashion police--an attitude among some law enforcement officers that attaches criminality to sartorial choice. MORE

Mar. 18, 2013

Case of Coy Mathis, 6-year-old Colorado student who is biologically male but identifies as female, is at heart of legal dispute over right to use school bathroom that is likely to test Colorado's anti-discrimination law; occurs as other states are seeking to clarify their policies relating to transgender students. MORE

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Now that the coast is clear, the W.N.B.A., which has been around for nearly two decades, has decided to publicly embrace its gay fans. The gesture deserves two slow claps, considering how long it took.